Forever
by SelenityCosmos
Summary: Aragorn will always be Estel to Elrond...


TITLE: Forever 

AUTHOR: Ôlpilin Telpënen 

EMAIL: SelenityCosmos@yahoo.com 

RATING: G 

PAIRING: Aragorn and Elrond, Arwen/Aragorn

DISCLAIMER: Don't I wish. 

FEEDBACK: Be iest lîn (according you wish), if you can, hennaid (thanks)!

SUMMERY: Elrond contemplates his foster son, Aragorn son of Arathorn, at the time of loosing Arwen.

NOTES: this is an AU fic please imagine the actors and remember that this does not fit ether the book or the movie. 

~*~*~*~

When I arrived in Gondor, he and my daughter met me in the great hall. Arwen was always my favorite child, my Twilight Maiden, but as my former foster son comes running in step behind her, I think how shadowed Undomiel is by him in my heart.

My Undomiel comes to me and in a hushed whisper begs me not to separate her from her beloved king. She tells me her heart will break without him, her elvish voice reminding me that a broken heart, for an elf, is death. My attention wavers as he comes and bows before me, as if I were a great lord and he, a peasant.

"Mae govannen, hir-nîn. Seas, túlye ennynesse_." Welcome, my Lord. Please, may you come in-doors?_ Telcontar Elessar said softly in the oldest of tongues. "Im anann quenye ar nórë-nîn sinome_." I long to speak without my people in this place._ I catch his eyes and am forced to remember a time long ago, when the King was still a boy, and Aragorn of Gondor and Arnor was still just Estel.

~*~*~*~

"Mae govannen, hir-nîn. Seas, túlye ennynesse?" The small six-year-old said, bowing low. Estel was tormented by the other inhabitants of Imladris. All were cruel to the Edain child of unknown origin, save Elladan and Elrohir (my mischievous twins), and Glorfindel, and myself. Estel was only happy with us or Haldir the Marchwarden, Prince Legolas, Lord Celeborn, and Lady Galadriel.

As a child he was curious and eager to learn. All day he spent exploring different areas of the unknown. Then in the afternoon and evenings one of us would tutor him in our area of expertise. He would viciously attack one subject or another until he too had mastered it. He was always on his best behavior when left alone lest he was punished by removal of lessons.

Galadriel taught the boy the languages of all the ages and the importance of living beings. Celeborn showed him the history of Middle-Earth, from Eru to Halflings. From Legolas and Haldir, Estel learned to track, hunt, and use a bow and arrow; though I believe he enjoyed the lessons of the Sword, with Glorfindel, better. Elrohir took it upon himself to teach Estel how to ride both the Mearas and the elvish horses. All the while Elladan educated Estel in any thing his other guardians had not seen to.

I gave Estel a gift that he yearned for more than he desired the knowledge that the others bestowed on him. The Gift of Healing. I taught him how to heal diseases that could only be cured by the best healers, how to mend battle wounds that should have destroyed the victim, and how to use the most powerful of magic's to heal other afflictions that we came across in our quest for peace.

As I stared down into my youngest child's eyes so long ago he put his hand to my cheek and whispered, "Ada, Im ú-oio anann nuvan mí dagor." _Daddy, I don't ever want to be in the battle._

"Lye, mí dagor? Law, ion-nîn." _Thou, in the battle? No, indeed not, my son._ Was my fervent reply as I tapped him on the nose. My darling little boy in battle? I had never imagined letting my Estel do such a thing.

~*~*~*~

Now, I look into his eyes and remember that promise as I study the lines of age and the scars of battle. His eyes flit to Undomiel and I open my mouth to deny him the little star that has been my light in the dark.

His eyes light as she smiles, once again the green of the excited six-year-old, once again I am watching him stride into my study, arms full of rare herbs necessary for healing the most grievous of mortal wounds.

"Lye nalye Heru o Arda, Elessar. Undomiel, nuvalye Artári Unrildëiel, Ú-Arwen Undomiel." _Thou art Lord of Earth, Elfstone. Evenstar, thou wilt be Nobelqueen Starbrilliance, not Noblemaidan Stardimness._ Both my children's faces snap around to me. My daughter smiles with her mother's grace, willing the world to join her. 

Estel's eyes are wide in shock and I can see he is apprehensive. It pains me to see the anxiety my child suffers because of the cold mask of resentment I have worn. I put my finger to the tip of his nose, gently, and quickly remove my finger in a familiar motion.

Finally, in the voice of a distressed child he whispers, "Ada?" I wrap my arms around him as he tucks his head under my chin and cries softly. "Im melath le, ada, im melath le." He whispered over and over.

Arwen watched us smiling, her radiant joy washing over Estel and me as we stood in a release as if all the emotions that had kept us apart were erased and swept away. As I held my son I felt a trickle of wetness on my cheek, and for the first time since Celebrian, my beloved wife, left I cried. "Im melath le, ion-nîn Estel-nîn" My Estel- Forever.


End file.
